Evaluating Research

When conducting any kind of research the purpose of the research might dictate the type of sources we use. When conducting research related to my career or important personal decisions, I like to use the University Library and conduct a search there. Using journals from the University Library allows me to have access to information published by subject matter experts. There are two main types of journals in the Library - peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed.

Peer reviewed articles are reviewed by other experts on the subject matter. The value in this is that subject matter experts already have knowledge of the topic, so they are better able to assess the quality of the work.

To determine if a journal is peer reviewed, you can locate the journal name in the article details and search for that journal on the Internet. Some databases will have a comprehensive list of peer reviewed journals online. For example, the ProQuest database within the University Library has an online list of peer reviewed works.

• Take a moment to review one of the journals in your field (Human Services- Working with Disabled Adults and children). How are the articles reviewed prior to publication?

• Share one interesting thing you learned from reviewing the journal you selected.

APA format, no word limit